Re: Weird infinite (?) loop when entering newsgroup

[Kevin Greiner <kgreiner@xpediantsolutions.com>]

Rob Browning <rlb@defaultvalue.org> writes:

> Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org> writes:
>
>> I've just starting using Gnus 5.10.6 (is this group the appropriate
>> place to post bug reports for older versions?), and when I try to
>> enter the newgroup "comp.emacs", it never seems to succeed, instead
>> printing out an infinite series of messages; I think I've
>> succesfully entered that newsgroup using 5.10.6 before (yesterday
>> :-) though.
>
> For what it's worth, I have the same trouble here when entering
> comp.lang.scheme.
>
>   Finding sort keys...
>   Sorting records...
>   Reordering buffer... Done
>   Overview buffer contains garbage ' <xcgisnuy7gd.fsf@mansfield.emba.uvm.edu>'.
>   Overview buffer contains garbage ' <3f660e04$0$2839$80265adb@spool.cs.wisc.edu>	5637	111	Xref: intern1.nntp.aus1.giganews.com comp.lang.scheme:44310'.
>   Overview buffer contains garbage ' <m3n0ci1a58.fsf@snoopy.treese.org>	17925	326	Xref: intern1.nntp.aus1.giganews.com comp.lang.scheme:45042'.
>   Overview buffer contains garbage ' <3f6526a1$0$2840$80265adb@spool.cs.wisc.edu>'.
>   Overview buffer contains garbage ' <xcgisnuy7gd.fsf@mansfield.emba.uvm.edu>'.
>   Overview buffer contains garbage ' <3f660e04$0$2839$80265adb@spool.cs.wisc.edu>	5637	111	Xref: intern1.nntp.aus1.giganews.com comp.lang.scheme:44310'.
>   Overview buffer contains garbage ' <xcgisnuy7gd.fsf@mansfield.emba.uvm.edu>'.
>   Overview buffer contains garbage ' <3f660e04$0$2839$80265adb@spool.cs.wisc.edu>	5637	111	Xref: intern1.nntp.aus1.giganews.com comp.lang.scheme:44310'.
>   Overview buffer contains garbage ' <m3n0ci1a58.fsf@snoopy.treese.org>	17925	326	Xref: intern1.nntp.aus1.giganews.com comp.lang.scheme:45042'.
>   Overview buffer not sorted!
>   Finding sort keys...
>   Sorting records...
>   Reordering buffer... Done
>
> This segment repeats indefinitely.

The problem is that your server sent some garbage that is now
confusing the agent.  One, or more, of your article numbers is
currently so large that it overflows the emacs integer variable.

Your fix is to edit the .overview file for the group having the
problem.  The first number on each line is the article number.  Look
for lines whose article numbers are not consistent with the rest of
the file.  Most times when this problem has been reported, the article
number has been duplicated (that is, you have 123456123456 when the
correct number was 123456).  Just delete the problem lines then save
the file.  You should now be able to enter the group and, when you do,
the agent will re-fetch the headers that you just deleted.

Kevin